


Becoming human

by DrunkSmoochum



Category: EastEnders (TV)
Genre: Enemies to Friends to Lovers, M/M, Mature because of a slur, Pining, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-31
Updated: 2019-10-31
Packaged: 2021-01-15 16:22:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,555
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21256238
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DrunkSmoochum/pseuds/DrunkSmoochum
Summary: A being human Ballum AU.Vampire!BenWerewolf!JayGhost!CallumIt's mentioned a few times what Ben and Jay are but not really focused/talked about a lot.





	Becoming human

**Author's Note:**

> So this is my Ballum halloween AU. Which is basically a being human AU. I hope you'll like it!

"Ben, we've got to take this deal bruv." Jay whispered when he took Ben outside to talk.

The two of them decided a few weeks ago to move in together, as brothers.

Jay wasn't really Ben's brother, but their friendship was so good and solid, it felt like they were.

"I don't know mate, there has to be a reason why the house is so cheap." Ben said scratching his head. Causing his brother to look at him with a 'are you serious?' look on his face.

With a sigh Ben walked back inside to talk to the realtor. "we'll take it mate." He said with a fake smile, looking back at Jay who was grinning widely, holding up two thumbs.

Ben hoped they made the right decision.

\--

It had been a few days after they had moved in that Ben felt like he was being watched.

He tried to ignore the creeping feeling he was having right now, the hairs in the back of his neck standing up.

"Ben? Oi did ya hear anything I said?"

"hmm?" he looked at Jay.

"I said, that this was the best idea we have ever had. Who would have thought, a werewolf and a vampire living together!" Jay said smiling as he took a sip from his beer.

"I didn't." Ben said, earning a push from Jay.

When the creeping feeling got stronger Ben decided it was time to go and stood up. "Right, this was fun and all, but I am starving."

Starving for Ben either meant he was going to feed on someone or he was going to find a warm body to have sex with.

Usually the two were combined.

Jay rolled his eyes. "So far for having a bro night in."

"Sorry bruv." Ben said patting Jay's shoulder as he walked past him. "Don't wait up for me eh?" he said grabbing his jacket and walking out of the door.

Shaking his head Jay started the movie he was supposed to be watching with Ben.

Thor Ragnarok. Jay didn't even like the movie, Ben did. But he should have know Ben would do this.

Jay was watching the movie for a bit and had to admit to himself that he actually found some scenes funny.

"Could you turn the sound up a bit?"

"Sure." Jay replied, upping the sound of the TV without a second thought.

"Thanks, I love this part."

Realising there shouldn't be anyone else in the house, Jay's eyes widened and he turned towards the person who had spoken to him.

Next to him on the couch was a guy, a very tall guy, wearing a grey suit with a pink tie, who's eyes were glued on the screen. Jay blinked a few times, not even remembering feeling the couch dipping when the man sat down.

The man turned to look at Jay once he noticed he was being stared at.

"You can see me?" he asked his eyes widening. "Wait you heard me as well! You just talked to me! " The man started to smile widely. "You have no idea how happy this makes me." he said, turning towards Jay completely. "I have been so lonely."

"Erm, I'm sorry," Jay said standing up suddenly. "but who the hell are you? And how did you get into my house?"

"Oh. Well, I'm Callum Highway," Callum said scratching the back of his head. "And erm this is my house too, I suppose. "

\--

When Ben finally woke up it had already been 2 pm. Walking into the kitchen like a zombie to get some coffee, Ben didn't even notice Jay talking with someone.

"You seem like you had a long night." Jay commented as he watched Ben pour himself some coffee.

"Yeah well, you know how it goes when..." Ben started before Jay interrupted him.

"I'm okay bruv." Jay said grimacing. "I don't need any details."

"But I wasn't even able to get to the juicy parts." Ben said smirking as he turned around.

Noticing the man sitting next to Jay, Ben's smirk faltered. "Oh, sorry. Didn't realise we had visitors."

Which Ben found strange. Since he would have totally smelled it if there was another person in the room.

"Oh, right." Jay said. "This is Callum Highway. He-"

"Let me guess." Ben said suddenly looking annoyed. "Died here and now his ghost is squatting our house?"

"well erm, yeah." Jay said confused as he looked from Ben to Callum.

Groaning, Ben spoke again. "I told you there was a reason this house was so cheap." Ben sighed as he sat down. "and now we are stuck with a fucking ghost."

"erm excuse me?" Callum said offended. "I'm right here."

"Yeah sweetcheeks, I can see that."

"Ben, a word." Jay said standing up, motioning Ben to go to the living room with him.

"What's your problem?" Jay asked.

Ben scoffed. " I think I just told ya mate."

Jay sighed. "Look, I know it ain't ideal."

"understatement.." Ben mumbled.

"But, give him a chance. He's really kind and he loves those superhero movies you like."

Ben bit on the inside on his cheek. "I guess we can't get rid of him anyways.." he said rolling his eyes. "Fine. I just hope he ain't a poltergeist.."

"I'm not." Callum said showing up next to Ben abruptly. "At least I don't think I am?"

\--

The next few weeks the guys adjusted to living with their new ghost friend. Well Jay did. Ben still felt like he was being watched with every move he made.

Ben swore that one night, when Ben took home a man (or as Ben would call them" dinnerdates"), that Callum was watching them getting it on.

Jay wouldn't believe it though, because Callum ain't like that. Which made Ben question whether Jay knew where Callum would go when he would dissappear suddenly. Both didn't know, but Jay would argue that Callum sometimes doesn't even know, that it's like he is asleep or summat.

What made matters worse were the comments or huffs Callum started to make everytime Ben said something now.

\--

One night, Ben had enough of the snide remarks.

"So why is it only me? Huh? Jay brings home women every other night and you ain't saying anything about him." Ben said, pointing at him angrily.

"See, at first I thought that maybe you were an homophobic piece of shit." Ben said annoyed. "But now, I am starting to believe it's because you enjoy watching men getting it on and you are jealous you can't.

"I'm straight, mate." Callum said annoyed.

"Right, is that why you keep watching me? Why you keep hanging around?" Ben said chuckling, adding "Because you are straight?" emphasizing on the word straight. .

Callum huffed at that. "I ain't watching you, mate, and incase you hadn't figured it out, you dimwit, " he said. "I can't really leave this place."

Ghosts who can't move on are bound to the place they lost their life. Ben knew this. He had met enough ghosts in his lifetime to find out about that fact.

Tightening his jaw Ben decided to change subjects, aiming to hurt Callum."Doesn't excuse the fact that you are wearing the same goddamn outfit every fucking day like a knob.

"It's my wedding suit." Callum suddenly said sadly. "I died on my wedding day."

"Ouch that's rough." Ben said, his voice dripping with sarcasme. "but then again, getting married is a death sentence anyway." he added with a smirk.

Callum scowled at him. "You think that is funny do you?" he asked, the anger in his voice rising.

"Someone dying on their wedding day? Well that must be a metaphor or summat." Ben said grinning, knowing he was angering Callum.

"Screw you. " Callum said through gritted teeth. Unknown to him that the lights in the kitchen started to blink rapidly. " You think everything is a damn joke, well it ain't."

Ben's grin faded as he started to notice the lights flickering.

"I had a life," Callum continued angry. "With a beautiful woman who I had to watch in silence as she suffered everytime she walked through that door."

"Callum.." Ben said as the house started to shake.

"Do you have any idea how it feels not to be able to talk to someone you love?" he asked sounding angrier by the minute. "To not be able to touch or hug them?!"

"Callum!"

"WHAT."

"You need to calm down." Ben said holding on to the wall. "I'm sorry okay." he said. "I was just winding you up."

Callum only noticed in that moment what was happening. The shaking stopped and the lights flickered less, until they, too, stopped.

"Did I just do that?"

\--  
"So, you are telling me he made the lights flicker and had the house shaking like there was an earthquake?" Jay asked unconvinced.

"He really did that Jay." Ben exclaimed. "You should have been there, I am telling you. There is something more to him." taking a swig of his beer. "

"So, where is he now?"

"How am I suppose to know? He just left."

"Yeah because of what you said, most likely." Jay said shaking his head.

Ben just rolled his eyes at that.

\--  
It had been quiet.

Callum was around, that was for sure. He couldn't leave after all. But he decided not to show himself, atleast not to Ben. He has had more than enough talks with Jay while Ben wasn't home.

Sure, Ben had found Callum mostly annoying, and maybe he did take his dinnerdates home instead of going to theirs because he wanted to annoy Callum as well. Yet, now Ben was finding himself to actually miss Callum, and his stupid face and his stupid voice and his dumb jokes and

Oh.  
\--

It was late at night when Ben decided to watch Thor ragnarok. He was sipping his beer, too engulfed in the movie to notice Callum appearing next to him on the sofa.

"This movie again?" Callum asked, hugging his knees against his chest as he looked at Ben.

Ben had to stop himself from smiling as he turned his head towards Callum. "Well, I wasn't here the last time, now was I?" he said softly. "Figured I could watch it now."

"No dinnerdates then?" Callum asked.

"Nah." Ben said, before pausing the movie. "Look, Callum, about what I said.. "

"It's fine Ben."

"No, it ain't." Ben said sighing. "I wanted to wind you up, get you as annoyed as I was, I didn't mean to hurt you."

Callum stared at him.

"Okay, maybe I wanted to hurt you a little." Ben said biting the inside of his cheek. "But I didn't mean to cross a line and I did. So I just wanna say, I'm sorry." he said unpausing the movie.

Smiling at Ben's admission, Callum tried to nudge Ben, forgetting that he is a ghost and can't touch anything.

The two looked at eachother for a moment, before Callum spoke up again.

"So.." He said. "Who is your favourite Marvel character?"

\--

They had become friends after that night. Agreeing to watch a Marvel movie atleast once a week and if there were no more, they'd move on to the series on Netflix.

\--

"You never wondered how you died?" Jay asked Callum one morning.

"ofcourse I have." Callum replied.

"Didn't you say it was an accident?" Ben said, joining the conversation as he walked into the kitchen.

"You're up early." Jay said confused. "Usually you ain't out of bed untill 2pm."

Ben rolled his eyes at Jay, as he stole his coffee, earning a smile from Callum.

"So, what kind of accident?" Jay asked, scowling at Ben and bringing up their original conversation.

"I'm not really sure.." Callum said, scratching the back of his head. " I just overheard Whit, talking to the realtor about it."

"We can always try and find out if you want?" Ben said before he could stop himself, adding "maybe then you will be able to move on."

The moment he said it, Ben wanted to hit himself. Callum had given him a look, which Ben couldn't quite place.

"That's not a bad idea." Jay said making himself another cup of coffee, unaware of the sudden tension in the room.

\--

"You sure this is gonna work?" Callum asked as he looked at Ben.

Ben shrugged as he watched Mo, a psychic who apparantly could talk to ghosts was setting up her table.

"Do you have an item belonging to the deceased?" she asked once she sat down.

"Oh erm yeah." Ben said, patting his pockets and finding what he was looking for, namely a ring. More importantly, Callum's ring.

It took some time, but Ben was able to find Whitney, Callum's ex-fiance, and convince her to give him Callum's ring. Well, if by convincing you mean stealing, but that's something Jay and Callum didn't need to know.

Giving the woman the ring, she examined it before placing it in a bowl in front of her. Mo started chanting in another language, closing her eyes and scattering a powdery substance around the bowl.

"A connection has been made." Mo said monotonously, earning a frown from Callum, since he didn't notice any changes.

Ben looked from Jay to Callum. Both seemingly unimpressed by Mo.

"What is it that you want to know?". She then asked, her eyes still closed.

"We want to know how Callum died." Ben said, still looking at Callum.

"Oh spirit hear our calls. Please tell us how you passed." Mo said, humming a little afterwards.

Callum rolled his eyes. "This ain't gonna work." he said annoyed. "She's a damn fraud."

Ben was about to agree when Mo interrupted him. "Oi, who are you calling a fraud here."

Jay looked at Ben with wide eyes.

"Y-you heard me?" Callum said sounding surprised.

"Ofcourse I did boy, now tell us how you died." Mo said sounding impatiently.

"I don't know, that's why w-they got you here," Callum said. "we, erm, they thought, maybe you knew a way to find out."

This caused Mo to sigh loudly. "you know, if I had known, yous two were supernatural beings I would have laid off the antics."

"What?" Jay asked suddenly nervous.

"Oh cut the crap, I know you two can see and talk to him." She said rolling her eyes. "I should have known honestly, why else would you.."

Stopping her from rambling on, Ben interrupted her. "Okay fine, you got us caught, now can ya help or not?"

"Rude." she said scowling. "Anyways I think I might have the solution for your friend." Mo said smiling suddenly as she grabbed her bag. Out of her bag she pulled a blue crystal.

"What's that s'pose to do?" Ben asked, looking at the crystal.

"It's a memory stone." Mo explained. "He," she said, pointing at Callum. "has to pick it up and he will remember what happened.

Ben got annoyed now." He's a ghost, how the hell is he supposed to pick that up?!"

"He'll find a way." Mo said. "They always do."

\--  
Over the next few weeks, Ben came downstairs to find Callum trying to grab the crystal. Failing everytime as his hand would just go through it.

"Maybe you should try something small first?" Ben said sipping his coffee.

"Like what?" Callum said sighing, sitting down on the floor in defeat.

"Well.." Ben said looking around for a moment. "How about you try and make that light flicker?"

Callum looked from Ben to the small wall light in the kitchen. Concentrating on it, mumbling "come on, flicker" under his breath.

When the light didn't flicker Callum gave up.

Seeing how upset Callum looked, Ben couldn't help but feel bad. He had to do something to help Callum out. Ben didn't want Callum to get his door and move on, but watching how hard Callum was working for it, made Ben feel like he had never done before.

"Maybe your powers are emotion based?" Ben said, sitting down on the floor next to Callum.

"What do you mean?" Callum looked at him, only noticing now how close Ben was sitting next to him.

"Well last time, you were angry." Ben said. "Maybe you should try that again?"

\--

Callum tried, but he didn't have anything to be angry about. Not really, anyways. Yet, there were other feelings, emotions, he could use.

Finally getting the light to flicker, Callum jumped up and down from happiness, pumping his fist in the air. He wanted to hug Ben, eventhough he couldn't.

If Ben's heart was still beating, he would have claimed that it had fluttered at that moment, but it doesn't. He was smiling widely at Callum's accomplishment, however, deep inside of him, something was eating away at him.

\--

Ben didn't have anymore dinnerdates. He got his fill from illegally sold bloodbags now.

\--  
"I have been looking into Callum's death." Ben said to Jay.

They had gone to the new café aroud the corner. A place where Callum couldn't overhear them.

"Did you know he was found a day *after*he was supposed to get married?" Ben said almost in a whisper to Jay. "I say supposed because he never did. Apparantly he was a no show." he took a swig from his beer.

"Alright, what are you getting at?" Jay asked confused, wondering if this was Ben drunk talking about something. They had been drinking a while.

"What if, the missus killed Callum for not showing up at the wedding?"

Jay chuckled at that. "Okay, now I know you are drunk."

"No, I'm not drunk." Ben exclaimed, at most he was a little bit tipsy. "I'm serious." he continued. "I've done some digging and it's the only thing that makes sense."

"We have met her Ben." Jay said sighing, trying to get some sense into Ben. "Did she really seem like the type of person that can kill someone?"

Ben thought about it. In the brief moment they had spent with her, Ben could sense that she was a feisty woman, but Jay was right, she didn't seem like she had it in her to kill someone.

"Maybe that's exactly what she wants us to think. "

\--

While Ben and Jay were at the Cafe, Callum kept on improving his powers. Over the past few days he taught himself a few new tricks, Callum was able to move things with his mind now for an instance.

The physical aspect of his powers though, that was a harder thing to crack.

\--

Callum tried something different.

Instead of simply trying to grab the crystal from the table, Callum decided to hover it above a pillow, trying to catch the crystal as it dropped down.

The first few hundred times were unsuccessful.

Until finally, the crystal dropped on the palm of his hand. Callum stared at it with wide eyes as crystal started to lit up.

"BEN!" Callum shouted. "I did it! I.."

And with that Callum got sucked into the memory of the day he died.

_"What more is there to say dad!?" Callum exclaimed loudly. "I'm gay!"_

_"My son ain't a fucking faggot!" Jonno said as he gripped the shirt of Callum's wedding suit tightly._

_Callum tried to get away from his dad, only to be pushed suddenly, making him lose his footing. He fell down the stairs hitting his head hard, hard enough that his neck broke._

_Jonno, who looked shaken up about the fact that he had just killed his son, left the house in a hurry._

Callum dropped the crystal, but the memories kept flooding back in.

How he was supposed to get married to Whitney but couldn't, how he admitted to her on their wedding day that he was gay and how sorry he was and how he truly loved her, just not in the way she loved him.

He understood now, why the police ruled his death as an accident, claiming Callum most likely had been drinking then slipped and fell down the stairs. Why Whitney had found him at their home a day *after* they were supposedly married.

It was all too much for Callum to acknowledge, causing the house to rumble even more than it did when Ben had pissed Callum off months before. The lights were flickering like crazy, the glass of the cabinets breaking.

Ben was already on his way downstairs when the house began to shake. He ran towards the living room where he found Callum freaking out.

"Callum?" Ben said holding his hands up. " Call, what happened? Do you remember something?"

"I remember it all." Callum said, sounding like he was hyperventilating.

"Was it Whitney?"

"No!" Callum said loudly. "I-it was, it was.." he was on the brink of crying now.

"it's okay, Callum, you don't have to.."

"It's not okay!" Callum said crying now. "My dad killed me!"

Schocked by what Callum had just said, Ben's eyes widened. He used to have trouble with his own dad sure, but Ben could never imagine his own father actually killing him.

Ben watched as Callum slumped down on the floor again.

All Ben wanted to do in that moments was to embrace Callum, to rub his back while saying everything was going to be okay. However, Ben knew this wasn't possible, so he sat down next Callum, hovering his hand above Callum's, and said nothing.

Callum watched as Ben's hand hovered above his. It looked like Ben was holding his hand and Callum calmed down.

They sat in silence.

\--

Things had been a little strange since Callum found out how he had died.

Ben and him had talked about what had happened, albeit Callum hid the fact that he was gay, which was mainly the reason why Callum changed subjects when Ben asked _why_ his father killed him.

Callum would also suddenly dissappear and reappear at random moments, having changed outfits which shouldn't be able, but Callum was able to.

It had been hard for Ben though, seeing Callum in different outfits. They emphasized how fit Callum actually was and it made Ben feel frustrated.

Although, that could have also been because of him not getting off with another person for the last two months or so. Not because he didn't try, he did, he just didn't feel like it everytime they got to the undressing part.

"Ben?"

Ben looked up from where he was staring and saw Jay look at him suspicious.

"Sorry, what were you talking about?"

Jay sighed. "I was talking about Callum's dad," he said. " And how we were gonna deal with him."

\--

The plan failed.

Sort of.

They didn't kill Jonno, Callum had stopped them from doing so, but he did end up confessing that he killed Callum and why.

Which was a shock to both Jay and Ben, the latter confused as to why Callum didn't tell him.

Luckily Jay talked some sense into Ben.

"He just found out he was murdered by his dad because he was gay, another thing he had to find out about again."

"You don't just forget that you are gay, Jay." Ben said rolling his eyes.

"Maybe he was in denial?" Jay said. " I remember you telling me that you was in denial for atleast 20 years when you realised you were gay."

"I wasn't in denial, I was just.." Ben said trailing off. "..trying to please my dad."

Callum reappeared again, looking all guiltily, and Ben couldn't help but smile. "You alright?"

"Yeah." Callum said nodding his head and sitting down on a chair.

"So, anything different for you?" Jay asked.

"Not really.." Callum said shrugging.

"Don't worry mate, we'll find a way for you to move on." Jay said taking a swig from his drink.

Callum just looked at Ben, who smiled tightly the moment Jay said that, before diverting his eyes to the door that had showed up the moment Jonno had confessed.

\--

"What if I don't want to move on?"

Callum had used his powers to call Mo. It took a while to type in the digits, his powers to physically touch something still not being optimal. Luckily for him, she heard him even via phone and decided to drop by.

"Look darling." She said. "Your door has appeared, you can't just not decide to go through it."

"But what if I don't want to go through it."

"Then you will be stuck here forever."

Callum bit on the inside of his cheek.

Feeling sorry for him, Mo spoke up again.

"There may be another way." She said, catching Callum's attention. "But it's dangerous."

"That don't matter," Callum said standing up. "Just tell me what I need to do."

\--

Callum had disappeared.

Normally, he would show up within a day or two, but now he had been gone for three weeks and Ben started to worry.

What if Callum had moved on without saying goodbye?

Shaking the thought away, Ben grabbed another beer. Unknown to him that Callum had just appeared in the living room.

Walking towards the living room to drink away the aching feeling he felt, Ben stopped in his tracks when he saw Callum.

"You're back." he said in a gasp.

"Yeah, I guess I am." Callum said smiling.

"Where did you go?"

"Well, erm, my door showed up and.."

It felt as if time stopped. The ringing in his ear blacked out everything Callum was saying to Ben.

All Ben could think about was Callum's door showing up and him probably leaving, there was no other explanation, that's why he had been gone for three weeks. He probably was weighing out his options and looked for a way to tell him and Jay.

"Wait." Ben said interrupting Callum. "before you decide to go.." he took a deep breath before continuing, he needed to get this of his chest. "You asked me before if I knew how it felt to not be able to touch or hug somebody I loved." Ben said biting his lip. "Well I do."

Callum stared at Ben, unable to form words.

When there was no reply, Ben rambled on. "Because I think I fell for you a while ago and I think you fell for me too." he said, suddenly feeling nervous. "And I don't care if I sound selfish when I say that I don't want you to move on, because I am that selfish, because I lo-"

Before Ben could finish his sentence, Callum had lunged at him, pulling him in for a searing kiss. Caught up in the moment Ben kissed Callum back.

Pulling away from the kiss, Ben looked at Callum confused."how did you.. ?"

Callum smiled. "it's a long story." He said. "All you need to know right now, is that I ain't be moving on, not for a very long time."

Ben was about to ask Callum about it all again, so Callum pulled him in for another kiss. Smiling into the kiss, Ben wrapped his arms around Callum's neck. Something he has been wanting to do for a long while.

Resting his head against Ben's when he pulled back from the kiss, Callum whispered "I love you too." referring back to what Ben was going to say before.

They kissed again.

And again

And they didn't stop until Jay walked in, wondering what the hell had happened. 

\--

The end.

\--

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know what you think!
> 
> You can find me on Tumblr @they-call-me-halfway ❤️


End file.
